Citadel graduate takes command of Blue Angels for second time

For the second time in three years, Navy Capt. Greg McWherter, a 1990 graduate of The Citadel, has been selected to command the U.S. Navy’s elite flying team, the Blue Angels.

McWherter, who commanded the Blue Angels from 2008-2010, returned to lead the demonstration squad in May after his successor resigned.

“Greg McWherter is an outstanding example of a principled leader and he is the quintessential team player. That coupled with his selfless service to the U.S. Navy and to the Blue Angels is something we can all admire and learn from. The Class of 1990 and The Citadel are proud to call him one of our own,” said Mark Brandenburg, the college's attorney and a 1990 classmate of McWherter's.

The Atlanta native was a member of the Second Battalion Staff and a civil engineering major while a cadet. In an interview for the 2009 issue of The Citadel magazine, McWherter reflected on how his education at The Citadel prepared him for his commanding role with the Blue Angels.

“The biggest thing The Citadel does is teach you that there is something more important than you as an individual,” he said. “Your classmates rely on you; you rely on them. That sense of team applies across the board in everything you do in life.”

McWherter is scheduled to command the flight demonstration squadron through the 2012 season. His decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals (Strike Flight), two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal as well as various campaign and unit awards.

The Blue Angels currently do not have a South Carolina show scheduled for 2012.

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